Mysterious music has New Jersey residents looking at Delaware

Here are some of the top stories we're following for today. 1/19/19
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Residents in the New Jersey towns of Pennsville, Carneys Point and Penns Grove have been plagued by the sound of heavy bass music, played at all hours of the day — and night. They say it's coming from Delaware, which is across the river and can be reached by the Delaware Memorial Bridge.(Photo: KYLE GRANTHAM/THE NEWS JOURNAL)Buy Photo

A spate of noise complaints has reminded Pennsville Police Chief Allen J. Cummings this month exactly how narrow the Delaware River is.

For weeks now, residents in the New Jersey towns of Pennsville, Carneys Point and Penns Grove have been plagued by the sound of heavy bass music, played at all hours of the day — and night.

Its origin?

Delaware, Cummings said.

"I think I've received 21 complaints in the month of October alone," the police chief said Thursday, adding that he's heard several different kinds of music but that one could generally define it as rap.

"There's a lot of thumping," he said. "Like bass. It's really loud."

Police come up empty

The three towns are located directly across the Delaware River from the Port of Wilmington and Edgemoor, maps show. It's largely an industrial area, with few houses, which may explain why First State residents haven't complained about the same thing.

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Residents in the New Jersey towns of Pennsville, Carneys Point and Penns Grove have been plagued by the sound of heavy bass music, played at all hours of the day — and night. They say it's coming from Delaware, which is across the river from Edgemoor.(Photo: KYLE GRANTHAM/THE NEWS JOURNAL)

Salem County in New Jersey has received at least 55 calls about the music, NJ Advance Media reported this week. It's been keeping residents up at night and is fraying their nerves.

Cummings said New Castle County and Delaware State police have both investigated, but haven't been able to find the source.

"The Delaware State Police have investigated a total of three noise complaints advising of loud music being heard in New Jersey," Delaware State Police Cpl. Michael Austin said in an email.

The incidents occurred on Oct. 14, 23 and 28 between the hours of 7:45 and 11:30 p.m. Callers believed the music was coming from the port.

After each call troopers went out looking for the music and didn't find anything, Austin said. In fact, they couldn't hear anything.

"Information was received that the possible source was a barge located in the Delaware River that was conducting a dredging operation," Austin said.

Police contacted the Delaware Department of Natural Resources to see if they had any info, but Michael Globetti, a spokesman for DNREC, said the US Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District is actually in charge of the dredging.

Tim Boyle, with the Corps, laughed when he heard the story.

"I'm pretty sure it's not coming from the dredge," he said, then made a call and confirmed it.

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